Traffic Engineering (TE) is a technology that is concerned with performance optimization of operational networks. In general, Traffic Engineering includes a set of applications mechanisms, tools, and scientific principles that allow for measuring, modeling, characterizing and control of user data traffic in order to achieve specific performance objectives.
As pressure increases to reduce the cost of network infrastructure, network functions (layers) have begun to converge. For example, networks may have a packet switched backbone (for example, an IP/MPLS backbone) with an underlying transport network where Layers 0/1 are converged (for example, WDM/OTN layers). Carriers are also under increasing pressure to increase profitability per service and to maximize utilization of the network to support as much revenue-generating services as possible. This may include ensuring that services are transported through the network in a cost-efficient manner as well as not using more expensive resources when lower-cost alternatives exist. For carriers, sending all service and traffic types over the packet switched backbone of the network may no longer provide the best economics. For example, the price to transport a bit through a router is much higher than transporting a bit through a transport system, and it may be advantageous to transport the packet flows as flexibly-sized circuits through the transport layers of the network, for example, when packet flows are large enough and circuit-like in nature, thereby avoiding costly processing at the packet layer.